


Five Times Corvo Was Angry… (And One Time He Cried)

by Aubrie1234



Series: Magpie, Raven, Crow, Sparrow, Bluejay (+ Swan & Hawk) [2]
Category: Dishonored (Video Games), Thief (Video Games)
Genre: 5-and-1, Corvo's not always really angry but he kinda does in each thing, Emily now wants to help the Outsider understand culture, M/M, Outsider has gotten Emily to help him ship people, Slight relationship
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-08
Updated: 2019-08-08
Packaged: 2020-08-11 18:23:29
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20158039
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aubrie1234/pseuds/Aubrie1234
Summary: Corvo's not an emotional person. Garrett can see that, knows it too. But that doesn't mean Corvo doesn't show his emotions when he needs to.





	Five Times Corvo Was Angry… (And One Time He Cried)

**Author's Note:**

> So, sorry if this is a little more OOC than the last one, but there's more lore mixing and the series title (Magpie, Raven, Crow, Sparrow, Bluejay) actually kinda represents each of the characters a little? I think they do, anyway.
> 
> If there's any notes you think I should add onto the story to help others understand it better, just let me know and I'll add 'em in at the end, but I hope this sequel is good.

**One**

Despite the time they began to spend together whenever Corvo was in town, Garrett had never seen Corvo truly angry. He knew that. Which was why, when the Royal Protector was waiting at the Clock Tower, mask on, a dark feeling rolling off him, the thief didn’t leave the safety of the window. He knew something was wrong and didn’t want to get involved, so he turned around.

“Come in, Garrett.”

_ Crap. _ He turned back around and crawled in. Apparently Corvo could see the look on his face and sighed, taking off his mask.

“Sorry, I’m not angry with you.”

“Oh good, I was afraid you’d come to skin me alive or other taffing shit.” Garrett didn’t move from the window as he gave his sarcastic quip. Corvo shook his head.

“I’m just angry at the nobles again.” The larger man stoked the fire he’d lit in the brazier, watching the coals burn, “I shouldn’t let it bother me, but I can’t.”

“I’d suggest Hakuna Matata but I don’t think you’d take it to heart.” Corvo gave him a confused look.

“What?”

“Nevermind.” Garrett shook his head, “Why don’t you come out stealing with me to get your mind off things?”

“I don’t know.” Corvo looked away guiltily. Garrett rolled his eyes.

“Fine, just don’t be angry with me.” He opened the window, “Just remember that, even though I steal, I don’t steal from the poor. I’m not heartless.” With a small movement, he climbed out the window and left the Clock Tower behind. He’d offered a way for Corvo to get away from his anger, but if the Royal Protector didn’t take it, then Garrett didn’t know what else he could do. He’d let Corvo stew in his anger for all he cared just as long as Corvo didn’t get angry at _ him_.

* * *

**Two**

It was a few months before Corvo came by again. There had been more sightings of the ‘Masked Felon,’ his alternate identity in the criminal underworld, and he wasn’t playing nice from what Garrett could read in the newspapers. Either the nobles had really pissed him off or he’d just had a run of bad luck. Either way, he was in a much better mood when he came to see the thief. So good, in fact, that he wanted to join Garrett for the night.

“I thought you hated stealing.”

“I don’t like it, certainly, but it’s not often that I get to see you.” Corvo spoke as they crossed from one rooftop to another, “Who knows when I’ll return to Morley after this?” Garrett hated to concede that the Royal Protector was right and so stayed silent. They headed to the Crippled Burrick to grab a job or two from Basso for the night. They surprised the boxman when they came together as Jenivere flapped to Corvo’s shoulder and rubbed against him. The crow had certainly taken a liking to Corvo for a reason neither Garrett nor Basso could understand. Corvo stroked a finger along her back as Basso tried to recover.

“Will you two stop trying to give me a heart attack?!”

“Wish I could, but no.” Garrett drawled, “Any jobs tonight?”

“Eh, I’ve got a few...” Garrett searched through the papers, eyes skimming the details to see which one he’d like to take tonight. Corvo also took a glance at any discarded ones, wondering if there was anything that’d catch his eye.

“Guess I’ll take this one.” The thief showed Basso the job on taking a painting from a Watch Outpost, “Any maps?”

“Not this time, sorry to say.” Basso shook his head, “But if it’s a Watch Outpost, there’s gonna be tons of guards. You sure you wanna take it?”

“It’s the highest-paying job in the list.” Garrett reasoned, “And trust me, when the Thief-Taker General was alive, he was worse than all the Watch combined.” Garrett gave a small smirk, “If I can handle him, then I can handle a Watch Outpost.” Garrett left out the window without saying goodbye and Basso sighed.

“Don’t worry.” Corvo held out the hand with Jenivere, letting her hop back to her perch, “I’ll keep him from getting himself killed.” And then the larger man followed Garrett out the window. Basso was glad of that and briefly wondered how such a large man as Corvo could fit into the same tiny spaces as Garrett before deciding he didn’t want to know, only wishing for their safety.

* * *

“Who was the Thief-Taker General?” Corvo asked as he caught up to Garrett.

“Just a nobody.” murmured the thief.

“I doubt it. Thief-Takers are publically commissioned lawmen. They also tend to be horribly corrupt.”

“What’s your point?” Garrett gave him a glare to make him drop the subject but Corvo ignored it.

“I just wanna know what went down, because I don’t remember any reports coming in about appointing a Thief-Taker-General.”

“You know how Morley is, though. I barely know what’s going on outside the City as it is, even with your help.”

“True, but you’re not changing the subject.” When they paused on a rooftop to look over the Outpost, Corvo stepped in front of him to keep him from moving forward. Garrett glared again.

“His name was Thadeus Harlan.” Garrett tried to sidestep Corvo but apparently the Royal Protector wasn’t satisfied enough, “Do you want me to do this job or not?”

“I do, but we won’t be able to talk again until the job is done and I want to know what went down with the Thief-Taker General.”

“Fine.” Garrett growled, turning away, “He was appointed by Baron Northcrest to head-up the Watch and keep the streets clear of criminals. He was as corrupt as they come.”

“And?” Corvo gestured for him to continue.

“When the Baron became obsessed with increasing industry, he got all the more terrible. Since I’m the Master Thief, he made it a personal mission to jail me or worse.” He held up a hand, the glyph-marked left, and pointed to a line that ran across it, different than the Glyph, “Got a bolt put through my hand for the trouble. Nearly killed me several times after that.” He lowered his hand, “He’s dead now, so it’s nothing to worry about.”

“Oh really.” Corvo didn’t sound happy and Garrett didn’t dare turn back to him. He’d only heard that tone once before and he knew it wasn’t good.

“What are you so mad about?” Even if he didn’t dare turn around, Garrett couldn’t help but make a jab.

“You’re my friend, Garrett. I value my friends highly. If he’d killed you, then we wouldn’t have become friends.”

“And that’s pissing you off?”

“There’s more than that.” Corvo laid a hand on Garrett’s shoulder and turned the smaller man around. The thief flinched at the burning look in the man’s dark brown eyes, “I understand that, if you had been killed, the Primal Stone’s power would have likely destroyed the City and may have even caused its own plague.”

“How do you know about the Primal Stone?” Garrett snapped, perturbed by the revelation. He shook Corvo off and moved away, wary.

“It’s my job to know what happens across the Isles. I learned about it after I met you for the third time.”

“And I guess it’s also your job to protect the Isles?”

“No, it’s my job to protect Emily and if the Primal Stone had gotten out of hand, it may have caused another incident like the Rat Plague or Karnaca.” Corvo moved away slightly to help Garrett calm down, “I’ve seen what happens outside Dunwall and even in its underbelly. There’s been too much inactivity that’s been causing the Empire to fall into ruin. The Primal Stone’s power may have caused a plague that would’ve likely destroyed Morley before we would’ve been able to do anything about it. So many lives lost when we could’ve done something.”

“Is this coming from your guilt, then? Are you so angry at yourself that you’re prepared to hurt me to get it out?” Corvo blinked, then looked at his hands.

“I didn’t-” He gave a small growl and turned away, “I’m sorry. You can go do the job, but I told Basso I’d stay with you to keep you safe. And I didn’t mean to be threatening, but you’ve got a point.” Garrett crouched quietly, watching Corvo’s movements, then nodded and scampered off the roof, heading to the Outpost. Corvo watched him go before putting on the mask and heading after Garrett.

* * *

**Three:**

Garrett didn’t ask people about their lives. He had his own life, they had theirs. There was no reason for him to ask them how their lives were going, he had no interest. Besides, many of them would rat him out to the Watch anyway. But Corvo, even though he was similar in nature, still tried to make conversation more often than Garrett. In fact, he’d somehow managed to convince Garrett to go out with him on a night of drinking instead of stealing, which had taken a lot of coercing to accomplish on Corvo’s part. As it was, he’d also had to go out and get Garrett some normal clothes, as the thief rarely wore anything besides his thieving outfit. Briefly, Corvo thought about letting Garrett go out in that outfit, then decided against it, not wanting him to be identified.

They’d taken up a booth at the Siren’s Rest for the night, just drinking and speaking, Corvo moreso than Garrett, seeing as one of them was more used to this kind of life than the other. Having spent a lot of time in the company of nobles and the elite, the Royal Protector knew how to act and hold his liquor keeping even the greatest of secrets and some of his stoicism as his tongue loosened a little under the alcohol. Garrett, on the other hand, staying in the shadows his whole life made him very less inclined to drink. In fact, he’d only gotten drunk a few times, all of which could fit on one hand, and though he never remembered what he was like when drunk, he knew he didn’t want to be that way. He tended to cause a huge mess if he got drunk. The aftermath spoke for itself. However, that didn’t mean he couldn’t use this opportunity to learn a little more about Corvo.

“Did you really eat rats during your exile?” Garrett asked after Corvo was given his fifth drink. The Royal Protector nearly choked on it before answering.

“And what makes you ask that?” He coughed a little to clear his lungs.

“You’ve told me a bit about your life and I’ve tried to look up what I could, but I still wanna know some things, like the rumors.”

“You know they’re not to be trusted, right?” Corvo sighed, “I’ve been asked that question so many times that it’s not even funny!”

“Do you want me to ask if you’re friends with wolfhounds, then?” Garrett wasn’t giving up.

“Only the white ones.”

“Is it because of your powers?”

“Not quite.” Corvo rubbed a thumb over the cloth ribbons that concealed the Outsider’s Mark, “Do you remember the night you saved me, when I blew those guards away? That was one of my powers. But being friends with wolfhounds and yes, eating rats, comes from something else related to the Outsider.”

“Let me guess: Bonecharms?” Corvo gave a sly grin.

“Perhaps.” Garrett studied Corvo’s chest, trying to figure out where Corvo could be wearing the bonecharms. If they gave you powers like that, then they might not have been as bad as Garrett thought, but it would still take a while before he was comfortable with the supernatural the Outsider brought with him. He let a shiver shoot down his spine as he remembered the first time he met the terrifying being. Corvo seemed to notice this, straightening up a little in his seat.

“Something wrong?”

“No. Just remembering.” Corvo nodded, not pushing. His left hand, the marked one, tapped on the table a little.

“It’s times like this that I wish I had the Heart again.”

“The what?” Garrett raised an eyebrow, wanting to know if he’d heard that right. Corvo shook his head.

“Nothing.” Garrett wanted to protest and find out more but then decided that it wouldn’t be the best course of action, as the larger man could use it against him. He’d turned down saying anything to Corvo, so the Royal Protector was allowed to do the same. Both of them looked over to the bar area and saw that a fight looked ready to break out. Corvo rolled his eyes and looked ready to get up, maybe deal with the fight, but Garrett grabbed his arm.

“Don’t do it.” he said, “Just let ‘em fight and sneak out in the carnage. It’s what I always do if I ever go drinking and there’s a fight.”

“But what if they hurt someone and we could’ve done something?”

“Corvo-” The man gave Garrett a dark look before standing and making his way over. His size alone was able to get their attention before he calmly tried to break up the building fight. Garrett rubbed his temples as, like all drunks, the two brought their fight to Corvo and the man was forced to get involved. The thief ducked under the table as one of the men was thrown across the room by Corvo and quickly decided that there would be no more drinking nights with Corvo, no matter how much the Royal Protector tried to talk him into it a second time.

* * *

**Four:**

Corvo had once again tagged along for a job and Garrett didn’t mind. This time, he got the feeling he’d really need Corvo’s help and so hadn’t argued for once. The place he was going to rob had been taken hold of by an infestation of some sort and they’d get extra coin if they cleared it out. However, there was no word of what the infestation was, which was why Garrett was glad to have Corvo along. If the thief didn’t recognize it, then it was likely the Royal Protector would because of all his travels. As it was, they were soon just under the balcony of the building and, out of habit, Garrett spied an anchor beam, leased a rope arrow, and climbed up to take a look. Corvo was up there in seconds, raising an eyebrow, and Garrett blushed.

“I didn’t think, okay?” he grumbled and they tried to peer through the glass doors. They had some cloud tint to them, making it hard to see through, but whatever was inside was buzzing and giving off a red glow. Corvo frowned.

“Garrett, I don’t think we should take this.”

“Oh really? What’s wrong with a little infestation?” Garrett had heard of the Rat Plague and had dealt with all sorts of monsters himself. He wasn’t afraid of a little infestation, even if he didn’t have an anxious feeling in his gut. He tried to push open one of the doors with one hand but it wouldn’t budge, so he had to shove on it to make it move. There were several cracks on the floor below the door but it was now open and they could see inside. Neither liked what they were seeing, especially Corvo.

“What the taffing-?” The floor was covered in long, hardened tendrils, which had presumably grown over the door before they forced it open, and there were quite a few glowing red structures that looked like honeycombs around, bloated flies buzzing about them like they were sugar. Garrett had never seen anything like it. Corvo drew his sword and got into a defensive crouch, pulling Garrett down with him.

“Hey!”

“Not so loud!” hissed Corvo when the flies started buzzing more at the noise, a little menacingly. They calmed down after a minute however and Corvo tugged at Garrett’s arm, “We need to leave.”

“You know what these things are?”

“Yes, and if we don’t go, things could get worse.” Corvo turned around, then paused, “But fuck, your Watch has no idea how to handle these things. The Grand Guard could barely do anything, either.” He ground his teeth and turned back around. Garrett raised an eyebrow.

“Mind telling me what these things are if we’re gonna deal with ‘em?”

“They’re called bloodflies, native to Serkonos.” Corvo closed the door so that the flies wouldn’t be disturbed by them, “The red glowing things are their nests. The only way to kill them is to slice them or burn them from afar. You kill the nest, the flies will disperse or find a new nest. If they sting you, it will hurt very very much.” Corvo pulled out one of the darts from his crossbolt, “See this? This is a Stinging Dart. It’s made from the distilled venom of those things. One shot of this and you’ll be running around in so much pain you’ll forget what you were doing before it hit you.” Garrett winced.

“Sounds awful.”

“That’s not the worst of it, but I’ll tell you more after we get rid of these things. Just try not to get stung.” They readied their weapons, Corvo and his sword/Incendiary Bolts, Garrett and his Fire Arrows/Blackjack. Corvo opened the door again and they tried to take stock of how many nests were inside. Corvo turned to Garrett one more time, “Also, if you see someone stumbling around and not getting stung by the flies, either stay out of sight or run.” And with that, he crept slowly inside. Garrett wanted to ask but didn’t dare raise his voice in fear of attracting the bloodflies and so he followed Corvo’s example.

_ I wonder how low I’ve become if I have to start getting rid of invasive species. _ Garrett thought, _ Still, it brings coin, but it’s a little undignified, I think. _ The thief kept these thoughts to himself as Corvo made the first move, firing a bolt at the nearest nest. It went up in flames in seconds as well as any bloodflies around it. The remaining flies, if there were any, quickly fled to the next nearest nest and buzzed like mad. Garrett kept his distance from the other nests as he went to inspect what was left of the one Corvo demolished. Underneath where it had been was the hard gray shell that had covered the door, the ashes and burnt bodies of flies and the nest, and- Garrett flinched.

“A _ body_?!” he hissed, “They make their nests out of _ bodies_?!”

“It gets worse.” Corvo said, firing another bolt that took out four nests at once, “The blood amber that gets left behind sometimes gets some good coin, though.” Garrett blinked, then looked back at the ashes, nudging some aside with a foot. Underneath was a hard piece of the nest, but it was more crystalline and stone-like than the monstrosities being burned, shining with an inner red light. Garrett lifted it and dusted it off, finding it to be heavy.

“Looks...amazing.” he murmured, tracing a hand over the honeycomb indentions.

“Of course you’d think that.” Corvo said, “Do you think you could handle the next room while I take this hall?”

“Sure, sure.” Garrett stuffed the blood amber near the window for later. It’d be a challenge to haul it all back to the Clock Tower, but it’d be worth it if it gave as much coin as Corvo implied. As the Royal Protector slowly made his way down the hall, Garrett peeked into the next room. It was also a short hallway leading to some doors, but there were no nests in here and he’d spotted some trinkets on a nearby shelf. It wouldn’t hurt to grab one or two for later, right?

“INTRUDER!”

_ Oh fuck- _ Garrett’s head whipped around to the end of the hallway and spotted something like a zombie, which then released bloodflies from its body that came straight towards him. He sprung back towards the balcony doors but the flies were faster. They landed on his arms and back and then struck.

Corvo hadn’t been kidding about the sting. It felt like a branding iron mixed with salt in the wound and the heat of a blowtorch all at once. Garrett _ screamed _ and could think of nothing but to make the stinging _ stop _ . It hurt so much, so _ so _ much, he’d swear off ever going near bloodflies again if they would just _ stop _ . His howling apparently attracted Corvo, who came out of nowhere and dispatched the flies. But Garrett still screamed, it hurt so terribly, and whatever Corvo was trying to say was being covered up by his wails. And when Corvo tried to pick him up, just the added pain of touching, _ pressing _on the stings was enough to overload his nerves and Garrett passed out. Maybe it was for the better, compared to what he’d been feeling.

* * *

“Shit! Shit shit shit shit-” Corvo tried to feel for a pulse, just to make sure Garrett hadn’t suddenly died on him, and sighed in relief when he felt the hammering beat under his fingers. Sometimes, if you had a weak heart, the stings alone could kill you. He winced at the sight of all the inflamed places, whether under Garrett’s armor or exposed, and knew he should’ve just dragged Garrett away from this whole thing and went after the flies alone. At least all the nests and the Nest Keeper were dead. The second he’d heard Garrett’s screams he’d come running and took out the Nest Keeper from behind with the well-placed blow from his sword, but it wasn’t enough to save Garrett.

“Stay with me now, you’re gonna be fine...” Corvo murmured the promises, not really knowing if Garrett could hear them or not as he carried his friend out of the apartment, leaving everything else behind. He’d come back later and grab it all, if just to make the thief happy, but for now, Garrett was his top priority. He didn’t dare take Garrett to the Clock Tower, he’d need to be looked after and Corvo didn’t have the time to be able to spend it all with Garrett, someone would have to look after the smaller man in his stead, and instantly he knew of who he could trust. Turning direction, he headed to the Crippled Burrick, praying that Basso would still be there for the night. And when he arrived, Corvo had no choice but to leave Garrett’s body on a rooftop before going in; he didn’t want to scare anyone, after all.

“Basso!” The boxman jumped and whirled around, seeing as Corvo had entered through the window.

“Fuck! Will you stop doing that?!”

“Listen Basso, I need you to do me a favor.” Corvo was a natural at expressing his imposing size and figure to get what he wanted and the mask only helped expand on that. Basso flinched a little at the tone but was listening.

“What is it?”

“Right now, make sure the back alley of the Burrick is clear and then I’ll explain.” Corvo didn’t waste time climbing back out the window, leaving Basso puzzled. However, whatever was going on was pretty serious and so Basso set to work clearing out the alley. When it was done, he didn’t have to wait long until Corvo returned.

“Gods to graveholes, what happened to him?!” Basso quickly cleared off a cot and Corvo laid Garrett on it.

“Bloodflies.” Basso went white.

“Those little bastards?! I thought they were stuck in Serkonos!” The Royal Protector was surprised that the man knew of bloodflies but was glad for it, as it made things much easier.

“So did I.” Corvo turned to the fence, “Please keep an eye on him. With my other duties, I can’t take care of him. I’ll send supplies, though.”

“Of course.” Basso looked down at Garrett as Corvo took off some of the thief’s armor, trying to make it more comfortable, “But how did the flies get here?”

“I don’t know, but I’ll find out and get rid of it myself if I have to. I know someone who’s been trying to cure Bloodfly Fever and it’ll help treat the stings, I’ll send it here as soon as I can.” Corvo frowned, “It’s my fault he got hurt, it’s the least I can do.” Basso didn’t believe that for a second but didn’t say a word, knowing getting Corvo angry at him was like a death sentence.

“Then go send for it.” said the fence, “I’ve got plenty of healing balm I can use on him.” Corvo paused, seeming to not want leave Garrett’s side, then slowly nodded.

“Thank you.” He headed for the door, “I’ll be back soon, once a few things are sorted out.”

“Good luck.” Basso watched him for a moment before turning his attention to his friend, examining the wounds and wincing in sympathy.

“By the Builder, why does this stuff always happen to you?” murmured the boxman, grabbing a few vials off the shelf. This was going to be a long month.

* * *

Garrett stayed in Basso’s small shop for weeks, passing in and out of consciousness, and every-so-often he’d wake up for brief moments to find Corvo by his side. And at times when he was more conscious, Basso would tell him what was going on outside the shop and of a few things Corvo had brought to take care of him, except for one thing: the book on Basso’s desk. Garrett may have been in pain, but he knew the shop like the back of his hand and that book hadn’t been there before he’d been injured. He’d tried to ask about it before but Basso would steer around the subject, Corvo wouldn’t say anything, and Garrett would give up because he was so tired and pained. He wanted to know, though, his curiosity was the only trouble he had in his profession. Maybe he could get around to moving this time.

Glancing around and finding neither man in the room, Garrett struggled to sit up. His arms and back protested, the only areas stung, the pain persisting even through the numbing gel that had been put over the areas. Once he was sitting up, the thief took a few breaths before trying to get to his feet. He almost stumbled at the shot of pain through his back but steadied, then continued to the table, one step at a time. The pain wasn’t as great as it had been the first time but Garrett never wanted to experience that again. He didn’t think he’d be able to survive it, let alone stand it again. Now at the table, Garrett opened the book and winced at the pain in his arms but ignored it. Inside the wordless cover were the words, ‘Bloodflies and Treatments.’ Garrett raised an eyebrow and flipped through the book, skimming it and memorizing parts he thought were useful. A cold feeling settled inside him as he got to the section on Bloodfly Fever and thought about the zombie-like creature he’d encountered.

_ A Nest Keeper, huh? _ Garrett lifted a hand and gazed at it. In the section were also the symptoms of Bloodfly Fever and, if it got bad enough, the transformation into a Nest Keeper. He didn’t think he’d shown any signs, but who knew? He only hoped he wasn’t, as 1) He didn’t want to die, 2) He didn’t want those little monsters to win, and 3) He didn’t think he could leave his friends to kill him. It’d hurt them too much. Hearing the steps creak, Garrett quickly closed the book and got back on the cot, hissing at the pain it gave him with the quick movements. It was Corvo,, holding something in one hand.

“You hurting?” he asked, coming to the thief’s side.

“Whatever you’ve put on the stings doesn’t get rid of all the pain.” Corvo didn’t say anything as he sat on the empty chair beside the cot, “Where’s Basso?”

“Getting some more balm.” Corvo opened his hand to reveal pieces of metal and bone that looked like a charm of some sorts, which he took a knife and began carving it.

“Is that a bonecharm?” Garrett shied away from it a little.

“Yes.” Corvo nodded, “It’s gonna have four traits on it.”

“Is it for you?” Garrett had the bad feeling it wasn’t.

“No. It’s yours.”

“Why?”

“To protect you next time we encounter bloodflies, if there’s ever a next time. There’s also gonna be some other things that’ll help you sneak around.”

“You know how I feel about the supernatural.” Garrett frowned. Corvo frowned back.

“This is for your own protection.” he said, “I don’t want you getting hurt again because of my mistakes.”

“How the hell were you supposed to know what would happen?” Corvo stood up suddenly and Garrett moved back, a little fear entering his heart at the look on the larger man’s face.

“I know what would happen because I’ve dealt with those things before. For some reason their stings don’t hurt me as much, I shouldn’t have let you come with me because of that. You aren’t even from Serkonos, you don’t have any immunity!” Corvo growled and whirled away at the last part, knocking the chair over.

“Don’t be so angry at yourself, it’s not-”

“Of course it’s my fault!” Corvo snapped, “I knew what we were getting into and I let it happen!” Garrett held an arm up, ready to defend himself even though it would probably be futile. Corvo noticed this and blinked, stepping away and relaxing his face. He looked ashamed, “I’m sorry for the outburst. I’m not angry at you, I promise.”

“Yeah...” Garrett was unsure of the statement but lowered his arm, “Thanks for saving my life.”

“No problem.” Corvo fixed the chair and sat in it again, going back to his whittling. Garrett watched him for a moment then turned over, trying to relax. He felt so comfortable with Corvo around, even after the outburst, that he was willing to turn his back on the Royal Protector. This would have alarmed him a few years ago, but now, it wasn’t a bad thing at all.

* * *

**Five:**

“How are you feeling?” It was a few months after he’d recovered and now he was back in the Clock Tower, also getting back to thieving. Emily was visiting him again, something she did rarely because of her duties, but it was better to see her sometimes than get a visit from the Outsider.

“Better.” Garrett rubbed a shoulder, “Still sore sometimes, but better.” Emily nodded.

“I heard about what happened from Corvo. It’s good to see you up and about.”

“I guess.” Garrett stoked the brazier fire, “How is he?”

“Good, why?”

“I think he’s been mad at me since I got better.” Garrett pointed to his collection, “I took the bonecharm but I haven’t had it anywhere near me since.” Emily strode over to examine it as well as Garrett’s other trinkets. She gave a low whistle.

“You’ve got some good stuff here. Aren’t these City Heritage Plaques?” Emily picked one up.

“Maybe, maybe not.” Suddenly Garrett was beside her and put it back in its slot, “Don’t damage it.” Emily gave a small chuckle.

“I won’t say anything.” Her bandana was up but Garrett knew she was smiling, “Anyway, he hasn’t seemed angry at all. In fact, I think he’s a little sad.”

“Sad? Why?” Garrett was surprised.

“Maybe because you haven’t taken his gift? Maybe because you haven’t seen each other in weeks?” Emily shrugged, “He may be my father but I don’t always know what he’s feeling.” The thief looked over at the bonecharm.

“I avoid these things for a reason.” He touched the side of his right eye, “It’s not because I hate that kind of stuff or anything, but...” He shrugged.

“Do you mind telling me?” Garrett glanced at her, then to the side, as if thinking.

“Only because you’ve told me so many of your own secrets.” He gestured for her to join him by the fire, “When I was young, I was nothing more than a petty thief, but then I tried to steal from a man named Artemus.” Garrett then proceeded to tell Emily about the Keepers, his adventures against the Trickster, Karras, Viktoria, Gamall, the loss of his eye, and the fate of his old teacher. He purposefully didn’t mention the events with Erin and the Primal Stone, not quite sure if he was ready to reveal something like that so soon. Emily didn’t say anything except a few noises at times and when Garrett was finished, her eyes were full of sadness and pity. Garrett snorted at the look and turned away, “Don’t pity me. I made my choices and that’s what came of them.”

“But if you had the chance to go through it all over again and change things, would you take it?” Garrett paused.

“I don’t know.” He held his bow, running a hand down the length of it, as if petting it, “I would do it to get rid of those three all over again, but maybe I would’ve done something different to save Artemus and Viktoria.”

“And not your eye?”

“I can live without my eye, it’s nothing much for me.”

“But you miss them.” Garrett nodded.

“More than anything. Artemus… Like Corvo is to you, he was a father to me, even if I didn’t like the Keepers. And even though she was once my enemy, I came to respect Viktoria so much that I really mourned her passing.” Emily raised an eyebrow at the answer.

“Are you sure that was all it was?” Garrett glared.

“I know how I felt, Emily. I’ve slept with people before.”

“I’m not talking about sleeping with people, but if that’s what you think it was, think that.” Emily gave a shrug and moved to look at the trinkets again, “Just maybe do me a favor and go see Corvo before we leave? He’d like to see you again. In fact...” A glimmer came to Emily’s eyes that left Garrett very anxious, “Why don’t you come to Dunwall with us?”

“No.”

“But-”

“_ No _.” he snapped, “I don’t care about your damn politics or your noble parties, I wanna stay a thief in this place.”

“I’m not saying you have to move forever, maybe just for a week or two. And I might just turn a blind eye if you wanna go out and steal.” Emily shrugged again at his skeptical look, “Some people there deserve it.”

“...I’ll consider it.” Garrett muttered, “I think you’ve overstayed your welcome, Empress.”

“Just keep it in mind, Garrett. We’ll be leaving in three days.” Emily climbed out the window, leaving the thief alone.

* * *

Garrett glanced around, then knocked on the window. He hoped he wasn’t making a mistake doing this. Slung under an arm were the civilian clothes Corvo had bought for him and under his harness laid the bonecharm, whispering against his skin. It took everything in him to not shiver at every little sound it made. The Royal Protector was at the window in seconds and let him in.

“What are you doing here?” Corvo hissed, “Do you wanna get yourself killed? You know how dangerous it is to come here!” Garrett was wounded by this sudden anger at him, how he was trying to do a good thing once, and maybe it was getting to him a little too much.

“It was your daughter’s idea.” the smaller man protested, “I knew this was a bad idea.” He turned around but Corvo grabbed his arm.

“Wait wait wait, what did Emily do now?” He sounded a little exasperated. It must have happened a lot, these ideas of Emily’s, and Corvo always had to fix the messes that followed.

“Just suggested that I come see you, maybe come to Dunwall for a while.” Corvo raised an eyebrow and glanced at the clothes in Garrett’s hands.

“Not one of her worst ideas, but still...” He shook his head, “I don’t know, especially if you’re still stealing in Dunwall.”

“I’ll be nervous enough as it is, I don’t think I’ll do much stealing.”

“I’d love that but I don’t know how we’d get you in without saying about who you ‘are.’” Corvo made quotation marks around the last word. Garrett raised an eyebrow.

“Just say something like how I’m an ambassador from Morley, maybe just a traveling merchant you guys decided to pick up. Anything would work.”

“No, it wouldn’t.” Corvo frowned, “Being in the court of an Empress is different from being around nobles, Garrett. You’d be judged constantly and if you were found out, it could damage Emily.”

“As if her reputation wasn’t damaged enough already.” Garrett mused. Corvo crossed his arms.

“I think you should stay here, if just for your own safety.” said the larger man.

“Point taken, goodbye.” Corvo stopped him again.

“Wait.” The Royal Protector let him go, “I’m not saying you’d never be able to come, but we just need some time to set something up to make it seem plausible about who you are, create your identity and stuff.”

“Yeah, and traveling’s not exactly my thing, anyway.”

“I wouldn’t say that.” Corvo looked a little wistful, “I’d love to show you Karnaca. Even though it’s bright and sunny, it’s a great place when not infested with bloodflies.”

“And it’s your home, not to mention Basso’s.”

“You noticed?” Corvo asked. Garrett shrugged.

“‘Course I did. He’s the main fence I go to. If I didn’t know a few things about him, then how could I trust him?” Garrett made for the window, then paused just before going through it, “And I wanted to say that I haven’t been avoiding you. Have you?” Corvo glanced away.

“...A little.” he admitted, “I knew you didn’t want the bonecharm and I thought you were angry at me.”

“Still don’t, but I keep it to make you feel better.” Corvo looked up.

“You don’t have to. If anything, I wouldn’t keep them if I didn’t already have a connection with the Outsider.”

“You made it for me, though, to protect me, and I’m sorry I’m not honoring that gift more.” Garrett apologized, “What are the engravings on it, anyway? The powers it gives me?”

“Bitter Blood, to help keep the bloodflies away,” Corvo listed the traits on his fingers, “Acrobat to help your climbing, Agile Recovery for your falls, and Undertaker for when you’re moving bodies.” Garrett nodded.

“Pretty good.” He touched the spot where the bonecharm was hidden and suddenly it didn’t feel so unlucky, “I guess I’ll see you when you come back.”

“Maybe.” Before Garrett could leave, something else stopped him, and that was Emily barging in.

“No no no no, you two are _ not _ just gonna do this on me!” The men gave her confused looks as she went on, “You made up, kinda, but I still want Garrett to come with us!”

“Emily, it’s his choice.” Corvo said.

“I know that, but you look so lonely when you come back from Morley and I hate seeing you like that! You need your own buddy and what better way than have Garrett join us in Dunwall, at least for a short while?” As Corvo blushed, Garrett raised an eyebrow.

“Emily!”

“I see how it is.” Garrett sat down on the sill. Corvo turned to him.

“I’m just fine as it is! I come to Morley a few weeks every few months and I see you plenty!”

“And yet you’re still as mopey as ever.”

“Emily...” Corvo, for all his embarrassment, was allowing his anger to enter his voice.

“Fine then!” Emily threw up her hands, “Don’t have him come, then! But don’t blame me if I happen to lock you out of the Tower for being so mopey!” And with that, she whirled around and stormed out of the room.

“Your daughter is a weird one.” Garrett summed up, “I think she changed my mind on coming.”

“Garrett, you don’t have to-”

“No, but if you’re being as melancholy as she says you are, maybe I should come anyway.”

“But what about-”

“Fuck the secret identities, it’s only for a week. What could possibly go wrong?” Corvo was quiet for a minute or two, seeming to war with himself, then gave a tired sight.

“Just please stay out of trouble?”

“Can’t promise anything.” Garrett was smiling. For Corvo, it was either a very good or very bad sign. Hopefully it was a good one this time.

* * *

**And One:**

**“How happy they make each other. It’s amazing.”**

“I know! I just wonder if it’s really friendship or love sometimes.”

**“The setup you created may just give us that answer.”**

“I hope so. Even though I miss my mother, Father does need a little love in his life. I think Mother would’ve agreed.” The Outsider shrugged.

**“Perhaps.”** Though Emily necessarily didn’t like the Outsider, she knew she had to get involved when he accidentally (or maybe not, you could never tell with him) revealed that he wanted to try and get Garrett and Corvo together. So far they’d become friends and, thanks to her intervention, both were now in Dunwall, where both the Outsider and Emily had a better chance of getting them together.

“You know, this may not work.” Emily said, “They’re both old and have fallen in love with other people. They may just not fall in love again.”

**“****_Au contraire_****, my dear Emily.” ** The Outsider smiled, **“You said it yourself, Corvo may need to move on, and Garrett needs to know that he doesn’t always have to be alone.”** His smile softened, **“Even if this doesn’t take, their friendship will still help.”**

“You still haven’t told me what they’re helping with, though. It’s certainly not change, right?” The Outsider shrugged.

**“I can’t tell the future, Emily, only that something is coming and that both of them and their friendship at the very least is needed to stop it.”** Emily tapped her fingers on her arm for a second, thinking about it, and sighed.

“I hate you.”

**“As do many others.”**

“Ugh...”

* * *

After a few days of settling in, deflecting questions of who he was and where he was from, Garrett thought he was finally managing to settle down into a noble’s life. Until, for the first time since arriving, Corvo didn’t come fetch him for breakfast. This usually wouldn’t have alarmed anyone else but it disturbed Garrett and so he went looking, careful to avoid or go around anyone he didn’t know (which was everyone there except Emily). He stuck to the shadows, managing to hide even in his civilian clothes, and eventually he happened upon Corvo in the Tower garden. Specifically at the gazebo and Garrett immediately knew what was going on. Slowly he approached, not wanting to disturb Corvo, and came to a stop just before entering the small building. Corvo was standing off to the side, above a memorial plaque, and he wasn’t moving. The thief stood for a while, unsure of whether to speak or not, until Corvo answered him.

“You can come closer.” The Royal Protector’s voice was solemn, not broken but there was certainly a roughness to it that hadn’t been there before. Garrett approached, cautious, and went to Corvo’s side. He saw the bigger man crying and respectfully turned away.

“She meant a lot to you, I guess.”

“More than you could ever know.” Corvo murmured, “They can’t even get the bloodstains out. Every time I come to mourn her I have to see those and be reminded of what I couldn’t do.” Garrett looked over, then quickly turned back. He couldn’t even imagine the sorrow Corvo was feeling. The closest he’d ever come was when he’d lost Artemus and even then he knew that compared little to Corvo’s pain. Jessamine had been the woman he loved, had a daughter with, had stayed together for many years. She was everything to him.

“Then maybe you should do something about it.” Garrett suggested. Corvo glanced at him.

“What can I do about this?” He gestured at the gazebo.

“I’m not talking about this place. I’m talking about you.”

“If you’re saying I should forget her-”

“Anything but that.” Garrett knelt to read the inscription, “I didn’t know her at all, but I think she’d like it better if you tried to move on from her. You loved her so much that you don’t think you’d ever move on, even I can see that, but I think you should give it a chance. You have a daughter who’s the Empress now, I’m not saying you haven’t stopped mourning, I’m just saying that you need to take some steps to change.” Garrett looked up at him, “You don’t have to take my word, especially since I’ve never fallen in love, but I think it’d be healthier for you if you tried. Don’t forget Jessamine, but find someone to make you happy again.” Garrett stood up. Corvo stared at him, astonished, then closed his eyes.

“Maybe… maybe I should.” Corvo stared down at the plaque again, “Not right now, but maybe I should try it.” He gave a small smile, “Thanks, Garrett.”

“Don’t mention it.” Garrett smiled back.

* * *

“SCORE!” Emily tried to give the Outsider a high-five. He gave her a confused look.

**“What are you doing?”**

“Have you never-? Boy, do I have a _ lot _ to teach you.” The Outsider gave a grimace.

**“I don’t think I like where this is going...”**

**Author's Note:**

> 1\. I saw The Lion King the other day and that's why it has a small reference in the story, but with how sarcastic Garrett tends to be, I think it kinda fits him.
> 
> 2\. Originally Corvo was gonna tell Basso a little about bloodflies but I liked it better if Basso already knew about them, and I think it comforts Corvo that he's not the only Serkonian in town (even though barely anyone knows where Basso's from).
> 
> 3\. It's kinda implied a little that Stinging Bolts may have some bloodfly venom in them, since both a bloodfly's sting and the bolts tend to be extremely painful and Nest Keepers aren't affected by the bolts. Outside of Serkonos or somewhere where it's harder to get to bloodfly venom they may use mercury or something, but I think they may use bloodfly venom in the Stinging Bolts.
> 
> 4\. All the bonecharm traits are real ones and you can even craft your own bonecharms in Dishonored 2.
> 
> 5\. I realize that the original Bird!Jenivere was a raven, but after she died, Basso got a crow and named her Lady Jenivere the 3rd but everyone just calls her Jenivere (my own little headcanon). Garrett sometimes teases Basso about it, even though he was the one to convince Basso to get another bird.


End file.
